


Quicksilver and Sunlight

by Raindropsonwhiskers



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: AU for The Haunting of Villa Diodati, Concerningly Clingy Doctor, Dark Doctor (Doctor Who), Gen, Kinda, Mind Control, Minor Character Death, Telepathy, sorry - Freeform, spoilers for The Haunting of Villa Diodati, the Yaz/13 is only really implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:49:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raindropsonwhiskers/pseuds/Raindropsonwhiskers
Summary: The Doctor takes the cyberium, and doesn't let go. She doesn't let go of a lot of things, actually.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	Quicksilver and Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this all in one go at like 11 at night because who needs sleep when you can instead write a Dark!Thirteen oneshot where she keeps the cyberium and it basically amplifies all her clingyness and need to protect her companions, am I right?

She stretches out her hand towards the quicksilver light of the cyberium, and for a moment, she's worried she was wrong. Maybe it won't come to her, and maybe Mary and Percy Shelley will die here, along with her friends, her fam.

Then it moves, smooth and liquid, toward her open fingers, and a sharp grin spreads across her face. It lands on her palm, _in_ her palm, and it doesn't even hurt. It feels good, sharp, like the thrill after a plan goes just right, like the burn of her lungs after escaping another horrible death-defying situation. It traces white lines up her arm, through her blood, before it reaches her brain, and oh, she could get used to this. A whole army's worth of information at her fingertips, a god's power right within her reach.

The lone Cyberman - all by itself, no help, no battalion, no defenses, not now - snarls, metallic and grating. "Surrender it. Or I will execute you."

"I'd be very careful with those execution threats. I can feel it already, fusing to me. And it feels very at home," she grins; it's not a lie, the telepathic signature of the cyberium is getting all nice and cozy with her mind and she can't bring herself to care. "Recognizing great host material. Don't think it'll vacate me without a fight."

There's a whirr as the Cyberman lifts one arm, then a rumbling as it does _something_. That just will not do, now will it. Well, if Percy Shelley could keep it away, what can she manage?

A high pitched whine fills the room and the whirring and rumbling stops. Apparently, she can manage turning off it's power source.

The growl that comes from the Cyberman's mouth is purely human, now, no mechanical overtone. "What have you done?!"

"Oh, just deactivated your Cybercore. I'm sure it'll be fine," she says cheerily. "You're still human enough to live. Probably."

And then the screaming starts. As screaming goes, it's fairly good; it starts off with a high, pained shriek that slowly lowers and fades into desperate whimpering.

"Did I say 'live'? I meant 'not die immediately', sorry," she smiles.

"Doc, you can stop now," Graham whispers.

She turns to face him, and he's deathly pale with fright. Why? She stopped the Cyberman. He should be happy now, right? Nothing left to be scared of but a whimpering, suffering, foolish man. Hardly worthy of the look of horror she sees on all the humans' faces.

"Stop what?" she asks, tilting her head, smile falling.

"Stop... torturing him," Ryan says.

Oh, is that what they think she's doing? How cute. Her little humans are so easily confused. If she were torturing him, the screaming wouldn't have stopped by now. But, well, she does want to make sure they're happy. With a snap of her fingers that she's pretty sure isn't strictly necessary, the whimpering stops. So does the man's heart - or whatever's left of it.

"Doctor, are you alright?" asks Yaz, sweet, innocent Yaz. She needs to stay that way, the Doctor thinks.

Her smile returns, bright as the Sun and twice as deadly. "'Course I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just," Graham stutters, "you're acting very strange, now, Doc. Maybe you should get rid of that cyberi-whatsit."

Now why would she do that? If she gets rid of it, she won't be able to keep them safe. She needs them safe. What part of this don't they understand?

The smile shifts softer and gentler, more reassuring. "I don't think that's needed, but thank you, Graham. Now, come on, back to the TARDIS!"

They follow her; of course they do, they'd be lost without her. She would never leave them behind, but if it helps motivate them and keep them close, well... a little fear never hurt anyone.

The TARDIS opens for her(why wouldn't it? Why is there a voice in the back of her head screaming that this is all wrong?), and she easily steps into place at the console. She has an errand to run, and the sooner it's over, the sooner she can go back to showing her sweet little humans around the universe.

"Where are you taking us?" Ryan asks as she moves, practically dances, around, flipping switches and pulling levers with a newfound grace.

"Oh, just a quick trip to take care of some business," she says lightly.

The coordinates come to her, unbidden but not unwelcome. Having a database in your mind has its perks, she thinks.

As soon as they land, she flings open the doors to reveal a warzone. Cybermen march in perfect, orderly lines across the ravaged ground. A quick snap of her fingers stops them, too. There isn't any screaming, this time, and she can't help but be a little disappointed. What, she wonders, is the point of stopping all their vital functions except their lungs if there won't be screaming?

She turns back to her fam. They're still pale, still frightened. What do they need now? She took care of the Cybermen. What do they want?

"Well?" she says. "Where to next?"

Yaz's eyes are wide and panicked. The Doctor reaches out a hand to soothe her, and Yaz flinches back.

A frown flits across her face. "What's wrong?"

"You! You're acting all… strange. It's scaring me, Doctor!" Yaz yelps.

She doesn't understand. "Strange how?"

"Strange as in ever since you absorbed that cyberium you aren't acting like yourself!" Ryan snaps.

"But I'm protecting you. I'm keeping you safe," she protests.

"No, you aren't! You're dragging us into war zones and killing people and smiling like a madwoman!" Yaz argues.

And just like that, her mood flips.

"Yasmin Khan, I have seen more than you could ever imagine. If I say I'm keeping you safe, I am keeping you safe. Now get back in the TARDIS and tell me where you want to go," she says, voice low but firm.

"I want to go home," Yaz replies. She looks on the verge of tears.

If she takes them home, they'll be happy. If she takes them home, she won't be able to keep them safe. If she takes them home, they might leave her and never come back. She can't take them home.

"I can't do that, Yaz," she sighs.

Yaz glares at her. "I had a feeling you were gonna say that."

She shakes her head; they don't understand, do they? Her humans never do. She has to teach them.

She snakes forward and grabs Yaz's wrist before she can react. Her mind presses against Yaz's, and _oh,_ she's practically defenseless. It's all too easy to slip inside and change just a few things; all too easy to make her see why the Doctor needs to do this, needs to keep them close. Yaz sighs, soft and sweet, and almost melts into her touch. One down, two to go.

She looks up and sees Ryan and Graham staring at her in horror. Why can't they see? Setting Yaz down gently onto the torn ground, she steps toward them. They flinch back, and it _hurts_ to see them so afraid of her. But she'll fix it soon.

Ryan's next; not quick enough to dodge back before she grabs him. His eyes go wide for a moment, then they droop closed. He's always been so agreeable, she thinks as she lays him on the ground as well. One left.

"Doc, please, whatever you're doing, you can stop now. We're okay," Graham pleads.

He's missing the point, they all were. They might be safe _now_ , but she needs them safe _forever_. And the only way to ensure that is to keep them close.

She backs him up against an outcropping of rock before she strikes. Graham puts up the hardest fight, but eventually he, too, sinks to the dirt.

Good. Now they're all safe. She just needs to get them back inside the TARDIS. And then they can go wherever they want, as long as they're together. As long as they don't leave.


End file.
